Emergency Preparedness Week in Oxford County
Oxford County Paramedic Services is reminding everyone to Be Prepared. Know Your Risks
Emergency Preparedness Week is May 3 - 9. This year's theme, "Be Prepared. Know Your Risks," encourages everyone to understand local risks and actions to protect their households.
Oxford County Paramedic Services is taking this opportunity to remind our communities that emergencies can happen at any time of the year. Visit the Oxford72Hours website to review potential emergency risks in Oxford County and discover how you can prepare your household.
- Power outages: Most power outages are short-lived, but some can last days or even weeks.
- Weather: Tornadoes, high winds, thunderstorms, winter storms, floods, extreme heat, and extreme cold are all potential severe weather events in Oxford County.
- Human Health: A human health emergency occurs if your health or well-being is at risk. Examples include infectious disease outbreaks, food and water safety issues, and air quality concerns.
- Fires and explosions: This includes house fires, carbon monoxide exposure, and explosions from abandoned oil and gas wells.
Emergencies can happen without warning, which is why every household should have a fully stocked emergency preparedness kit. The kit should include supplies to prepare you to cope without electricity, heat, and water, or to evacuate for 72 hours and beyond. The Oxford72Hours website lists all the items that should be included in every emergency preparedness kit. Every household is different; your emergency plan should consider everyone’s needs, including your pets, and divide up responsibilities to help keep your household safe during an emergency.
Oxford County has created an YouTube playlist featuring our emergency preparedness video series to help you prepare for emergencies. These short videos are designed to help provide you with critical information that can help protect you and your loved ones during an emergency.
For more information on emergency preparedness for your community, visit www.oxford72hours.ca.
Emergency preparedness video series
- Stay safe during heat events: Protect yourself and your loved ones during extreme heat events using these tips.
- Food safety tips during power outages: Stay safe with non-perishable foods, canned goods, dry snacks and bottled water.
- How to shelter in place: Sheltering in place is when you create a safe location indoors and stay there until the situation improves.
- Creating a winter vehicle emergency preparedness kit: Putting together a vehicle emergency kit will help you and your passengers stay safe and comfortable if you get stranded on the road.
- Creating a home emergency kit: When emergencies strike you need to be prepared.
- Creating a grab-and-go emergency kit: In an emergency, like a house fire, gas leak or chemical spill, you may need to leave your house immediately.